Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, began by saying, “I have been described as an ultra conservative and a member of the vast right wing conspiracy. I am a Republican, a conservative Christian and the head of an international pro-family organization.” With all that, he’s not happy with the political discourse in the current presidential campaign:

Ironically, when I made an appointment with Senator Hillary Clinton’s office last year senior level staffers were assigned to that meeting. When I walked in, presumably as a member of the enemy camp, I was warmly welcomed, greeted and treated the entire time. I am sure her staff hated my position on the issues I was discussing with them, but they were consummate professionals and treated me with the utmost respect. I have been in hundreds of offices on the Hill and not all Republican ones treat me like they did. Whatever the reason for their demeanor, I appreciated and believed it genuine.

Regardless of her accomplishments and my opinion of her politics, however, I must unequivocally denounce the names she is being called by fellow Republicans, especially those who are followers of Christ. ….I was very disappointed when Senator McCain failed to stand up for a fellow Senator, Presidential rival and woman last month when one of his supporters asked, “How do we beat the bitch?”

It’s a well-crafted statement. And we should all be able to agree on his closing remarks: “If you don’t like Hillary, don’t vote for her. But, for goodness sake, have some respect.” I’ll second that. And I would like to point out that you can substitute any name, Democratic or Republican, for “Hillary” and it should still hold true.

Chambers would say he DOES extend the same warmth to his queer brothers and sisters – and honestly, campaigning political is a very peaceful way to bring about the kind of change you want to bring about (e.g., a constitutional ban on same sex unions). But since he is such an advocate of religious freedom and of Christianity, he should stick to declaring God against us, instead of our own government.

Umm, guys, Clinton is not the only Democrat who has been called names.

Edwards and Obama have been called much worse things. I appreciate Alan’s gesture, but I dislike efforts to single her out as a victim. Are the defenses of Clinton motivated in part by the assumption that women should be less subject to insults?

Allyson, calling Senator Clinton “Hillary” is the same as calling President Bush “W”. I think it shows their human and isn’t meant to be disrespectful. As for calling Senator McCain “John”….there is a John around every corner.

I’d also add that simply calling Sen. Clinton by her last name (a la Giuliani, McCain, Obama, Edwards, etc.), which is also a common practice, would leave some ambiguity as to which Clinton you were referring to since Bill Clinton remains very much in the public eye.

I don’t think there’s any inherent disrespect by calling her Hillary. Especially considering that her supporters are as likely to call her by her first name as her opponents.

I was watching my local news the other evening after HRC spoke at Rick Warren’s church in Orange County. The OC is an incredibly conservative county and many of Warren’s paritioners identify as such. Several who were interviewed found their opinion of HRC to be totally changed after listening to her speech. One said that while his politics wouldn’t allow him to vote for her should she win the primary, he wouldn’t be uncomfortable if she were elected President. Another flat out said that he might actually find himself voting for a Democrat for the first time in his life.

I’m not sure I’m ready to cast my support behind her. However, I am finding that people who are adamently opposed to the idea of her as President come away feeling a little less strident about their position after having heard her in person.

In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.

When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.

In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.

From the Inside: Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out”

On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.

Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!

Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.

Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.

Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.

The FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.